Keywords:
pedagogy, practice, theory
Abstract
One-to-one writing tutoring provides significant learning opportunities where ESL writers receive individualized assistance on their rhetorical and language concerns (Harris & Silva, 1993). Due to the covid-19 pandemic, however, the fact that many novice ESL writers can only take online classes from their home country leads not only to the physical fatigue by the time difference but more importantly to the even stronger tension between their L1 and L2 and the related rhetorical culture. As a graduate tutor who works with novice ESL writers, how to promote ESL writers’ writing learning, and development eventually using online tutoring is my major concern.
Grounded in Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT) for second language development (SLD), I propose for a dialogic tutoring approach informed by dynamic assessment (Poehner, 2008) as an effective assessing-teaching dialectical pedagogy for online tutoring. In this individual presentation, I will first demonstrate the notion of tutoring as a dialogic mediation from a sociocultural perspective (Johnson, 2009; Verity, 2018). I then will present the DA-informed tutoring strategies that I used to promote the ESL writers’ writing learning and development. I will show that my DA-informed tutoring practice echoes the notion of interdependence that tutors and tutees constantly depend on each other to co-construct space for meaning negotiation (Roets et al., 2020). Attendees of this individual presentation will gain a theoretical understanding of online tutoring practice as a responsive mediation as well as learn specific practical strategies for working with ESL writers.
Presentation Materials
Recording
Citation Information
Type of Source: Conference Presentation
Presenters: Ruge Zhao
Year of Presentation: 2021
Title of Presentation: Promoting ESL Students’ Writing Development in Online Synchronous Tutoring: a Dynamic Assessment Approach
Conference: Online Writing Centers Association (OWCA)
Location of Conference: Virtual